Shelly Anderson of Inver Grove Heights was a devoted Target shopper. When she needed toothpaste, groceries or even furniture, she headed to the brick-and-mortar and online versions of the Minnesota company.

“Target was my friend,” she said.

In June, though, she ordered a wicker ottoman, available only online, from Target.com at a sale price with free shipping. What arrived at her door was a three-drawer dresser. When she reordered the ottoman, oops, she got a playpen.

Anderson didn’t see why it should be up to her to haul the bulky boo-boos to a Target store to return them. But Target told her — even after its second screw-up — that it’s not its policy to provide help with returns even if the problem is its fault.

Furthermore, Target informed her, since the ottoman was no longer on sale, she’d have to pay full price along with shipping costs. Why? That was company policy.

So Anderson lugged the dresser and the playpen to the West St. Paul store, where team leader Carissa Hoffman was sympathetic and tried to arrange for the third try for the ottoman to be delivered to the store, where — assuming the delivery was correct — Anderson could pick it up and pay for it. But Target policy interceded, and this reasonable option wasn’t possible. Hoffman felt so bad that she sent Anderson an apologetic note and a $10 gift card.

That note was welcome, Anderson said. She got a second $10 gift card after she contacted the Better Business Bureau, too. But other expressions of apology seemed forced, she said — kind of like when you order children to say they’re sorry.

The ordeal surprised and saddened her.

“Target states ‘Expect More,’ but all I’m expecting is more run-around,” Anderson told the Watchdog. “Can you help me get the product I ordered?”

The Watchdog expected that after two wrong deliveries, Target would rethink its usual policy and agree to an unusual resolution.

After talking with Target officials, the Watchdog was able to get Anderson her ottoman priced $23 below the sale price, plus free shipping; an offer of spare cushions (which she turned down); another $15 gift card; and a promise that Target would take responsibility in case — shudder — a third shipping error is made.

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